EMP Museum in Seattle

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from the EMP Museum – Music + Sci-fi + Pop Culture in Seattle. When I saw that they had a Fantasy exhibit, I knew that I had to go.

The Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic exhibit: Revel in hands-on installations that include world building and mapmaking, and legendary pop culture artifacts. See iconic costumes from TV and the silver screen including The Wizard of Oz, Xena: Warrior Princess, Labyrinth, and The Princess Bride; pet a dragon designed by Seattle Opera; sit atop the Iron Throne from HBO’s Game of Thrones; and view original hand-edited manuscript pages from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

I loved seeing the manuscript pages from Lord of the Rings (you aren’t allowed to take pictures!) and the Game of Thrones chair. (I missed it when it came to Toronto.) Ironically, I ended up enjoying the museum itself more than that exhibit.

The EMP is designed by Frank Gehry and is 140,000 square feet! They have a giant sculpture of guitars that stretches way up to the ceiling. It’s called IF VI WAS IX, and it’s made up of more than 500 musical instruments and 30 computers.

I also immensely enjoyed the beautiful Sky Church, which was inspired by Jimmi Hendrix. This space is used for showing films and performances. When we were there, it was showing the 9th annual Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival. I watched a cool short film called Doll Factory.

Trailer FÁBRICA DE MUÑECAS (DOLLS FACTORY) from Ainhoa Menéndez on Vimeo.

On the second floor, they have a huge  Sound Lab. At the Sound Lab, you can play the drums, mix tracks, experiment with sound or even record your own demo CD in a soundproof room.

There’s no shortage of things available to do at the EMP. If you love Jimmi Hendrix or Nirvana (both Seattle natives), you can visit exhibitions featuring memorabilia, hand painted guitars and outfits that they wore.

The Women Who Rock exhibition gives you a chance to get up close and personal with outfits worn by incredible women in Rock n’ Roll. See the famous Lady GaGa Meat Dress and outfits worn by Madonna! (The Alexis Hotel also has a cool hotel package available with this)

Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power shines a spotlight on the astounding women who propelled rock ‘n’ roll into uncharted territories. Key artifacts, videos, exclusive interviews, and listening stations underscore the defining role that women have played in popular music, from the foremothers at the roots of rock, to Grace Slick, Madonna, and musicians of the new millennium.

The EMP is a must-see when visiting Seattle. Tickets are $15 online for adults. Visit http://www.empmuseum.org/ The EMP Museum is at 325 5th Avenue N at Seattle Center.

To read more about my adventures in Seattle, click here.